Obama Administration Faces 3 Controversies

U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned the Internal Revenue Service members who improperly targeted some conservative groups and says those responsible will be held accountable. The Obama administration is facing growing pressure from opposition Republicans, after reports that the IRS gave extra scrutiny to some conservative groups, and that the Justice Department seized telephone records of Associated Press reporters. Zlatica Hoke reports that Republicans also continue an investigation into whether the administration concealed some of the facts surrounding last year's killings of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi Libya.

Related Articles

WHITE HOUSE— President Barack Obama’s administration is facing tough questions on three separate matters, most recently the government seizure of telephone records from news reporters.

Reporters peppered White House Press Secretary Jay Carney with questions Tuesday about each of the three issues.

The Associated Press news agency said Monday the U.S. Department of Justice seized two months of telephone records for many of its reporters and editors.

U.S. officials say the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have provided information for a 2012 AP story about a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida bomb plot.

Carney said Tuesday the president supports the constitutional right of freedom of the press. He said it would be inappropriate for the president, though, to involve himself in a criminal investigation.

“The president is committed to the press’s ability to pursue information, to defending the First Amendment. He is also, as a citizen and as commander-in-chief, committed to the proposition that we cannot allow classified information that can do harm to our national security interests or to endanger individuals to be leaked. And that is a balance that has to be struck,” said Carney.

Attorney General Eric Holder said he played no direct role in the Justice Department’s review of the phone records, but called it part of an investigation into what he called a grave national security leak. Holder removed himself from the investigation, and assigned a deputy attorney general to handle the case.

Holder has also ordered an investigation into allegations the U.S. tax collecting agency, the Internal Revenue Service, targeted politically conservative non-profit groups for scrutiny during Obama’s first term.

Carney said the president finds the alleged IRS behavior “outrageous,” but that the administration cannot act on it until another probe, by an independent government inspector, has concluded.

“But this is a matter, when it comes to the IRS, that is under review by the independent Inspector General. We have not seen that report. It is our understanding that its release is fairly imminent, and once we have that report, we will be able to assess next steps,” said Carney.

Republican lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are calling for congressional hearings into both the AP phone records and the IRS.

“So this morning I am calling on the president to make available, completely and without restriction, everyone, everyone who can answer the questions we have as to what has been going on at the IRS, who knew about it and how high it went,” said McConnell.

And Republican-led committees in the House of Representatives are continuing their probe into the events surrounding the killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other diplomats at a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya last September.

While Republicans have sharply criticized the administration’s handling of the situation, Carney called their inquiries a “political sideshow.” He charged that Speaker of the House John Boehner is “obsessed” with exploiting the incident for political gain.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

Diagnosing infections such as HIV requires expensive clinical tests, making the procedure too costly for many poor patients or those living in remote areas. But a new technology called lab-on-a-chip may make the tests more accessible to many. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Afghan officials have expressed concern over reports of a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the Peshawar school attack in December. Reports of mass arrests and police harassment coupled with fear of an uncertain future are making life difficult for a population that fled its homeland to escape war. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Islamabad.

Video

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack. The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined to defend it. Patrick Wells reports from Mariupol.

Video

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close their doors. Restaurant owners face rents tied to foreign currency, while rising food prices mean Russians are spending less when they dine out. One entrepreneur in Moscow has started a dinner kit delivery service for those who want to cook at home to save money but not skimp on quality. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.

Video

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties. Delegations from both sides met in Washington on Friday to work on opening embassies in Havana and Washington and iron out key obstacles to historic change. VOA’s Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

Video

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington. The rhetoric was tough as a large field of potential candidates tried to woo conservative support with red-meat attacks on President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. VOA Political Columnist Jim Malone takes a look.

Video

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a significant role in a booming tourism industry that sustains 359,000 jobs and generates $61 billion in yearly revenue. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

Video

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy independent. Recently, the American Energy Innovation Council urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a priority. One beneficiary of increased energy spending would be the Brookhaven National Lab, where clean, renewable, efficient energy is the goal. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

Video

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion picture "Selma." Five decades later, communities in the South are embracing the dark chapters of their past with hopes of luring tourism dollars. VOA's Chris Simkins reports.

Video

With the end of summer in the Southern hemisphere, the Antarctic research season is over. Scientists from Northern Illinois University are back in their laboratory after a 3-month expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest floating ice sheet. As VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, they hope to find clues to explain the dynamics of the rapidly melting ice and its impact on sea level rise.

Video

A Lao dam project on a section of the Mekong River is drawing opposition from local fishermen, international environmental groups and neighboring countries. VOA's Say Mony visited the region to investigate the concerns. Colin Lovett narrates.